What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? TX
Over a year ago my 2 dogs were on a leash and I got into my driveway after walking them. I was approached by 7 children from a home daycare down the street (no adult accompanied them) who wanted to pet the dogs, the smaller dog in particular. One child, aged 9, made quick gestures to one of my dogs and I told him to quit doing so and to leave. He somehow ended up behind me and apparently harrassed my medium sized dog. I was pregnant so I was sitting on the ground and both dogs were on a leash. I was talking to a child who was petting the smaller dog when my medium sized dog lunged to the child behind me (who I did not realize had gotten behind me). The dog managed to bite this child in the face, which means that child must have had his face in the dog's face b/c there is no way the dog could have reached that child's face had the child been standing. My dog had not bitten anyone before and I was in shock. I had to try to calmly handle the problem on my own (as no other adults were around) with this child crying and bleeding while I had to get the dogs in isolation (I had to unlock my car and put them in there) and then try to handle the injured child. Finally the daycare lady from down the street heard him crying and came. My homeowner's insurance was handling this case and found the daycare owner to be most at fault. But the case is still open and dragging on after offers for settlement. The boy has a couple of small scars and the main thing is his lawyer is making a case for possibility of the child wanting plastic surgery in the future to get rid of the scars. I have since moved and have another insurance company (my old house was for sale before the dog bite occurred). I have since put my dog to sleep b/c we did not want to risk another bite ever in the future. I recently received a registered mail card in the mail after someone attempted to deliver. I cannot read the sender's name clearly at all. I am thinking it could be my old homeowner's insurance company. All I had received before this was a letter of the case still being open and that another offer for settlement would be offered to the child's lawyer but it's possible a trail would be necessary. How should I handle this? I think the previous homeowner's insurance company I had just doesn't want to pay, is dragging their feet, and they had raised my deductible to $6,000 before we moved (I found out after the hurricane).
Over a year ago my 2 dogs were on a leash and I got into my driveway after walking them. I was approached by 7 children from a home daycare down the street (no adult accompanied them) who wanted to pet the dogs, the smaller dog in particular. One child, aged 9, made quick gestures to one of my dogs and I told him to quit doing so and to leave. He somehow ended up behind me and apparently harrassed my medium sized dog. I was pregnant so I was sitting on the ground and both dogs were on a leash. I was talking to a child who was petting the smaller dog when my medium sized dog lunged to the child behind me (who I did not realize had gotten behind me). The dog managed to bite this child in the face, which means that child must have had his face in the dog's face b/c there is no way the dog could have reached that child's face had the child been standing. My dog had not bitten anyone before and I was in shock. I had to try to calmly handle the problem on my own (as no other adults were around) with this child crying and bleeding while I had to get the dogs in isolation (I had to unlock my car and put them in there) and then try to handle the injured child. Finally the daycare lady from down the street heard him crying and came. My homeowner's insurance was handling this case and found the daycare owner to be most at fault. But the case is still open and dragging on after offers for settlement. The boy has a couple of small scars and the main thing is his lawyer is making a case for possibility of the child wanting plastic surgery in the future to get rid of the scars. I have since moved and have another insurance company (my old house was for sale before the dog bite occurred). I have since put my dog to sleep b/c we did not want to risk another bite ever in the future. I recently received a registered mail card in the mail after someone attempted to deliver. I cannot read the sender's name clearly at all. I am thinking it could be my old homeowner's insurance company. All I had received before this was a letter of the case still being open and that another offer for settlement would be offered to the child's lawyer but it's possible a trail would be necessary. How should I handle this? I think the previous homeowner's insurance company I had just doesn't want to pay, is dragging their feet, and they had raised my deductible to $6,000 before we moved (I found out after the hurricane).